A Snow Day (or Two)
by Karri
Summary: Two young Hobbits enjoy a rare snowstorm.


Samwise crouched as his front door opened, admitting two snow-covered-by bundles with furry feet. They threw themselves into his arm, and he shuddered as he gathered them close. "Brrrr, cold!"

Elanor laughed as he released them. "Sorry, Papa!" she said, the shook to get some of the snow off.

Frodo mimicked his sister, provoking a laugh from papa. "What's this? Where did these two puppies come from? Hmmm… I'd best take them back out and so find my children!" Sam teased.

"We're not puppies!" Little Frodo objected, earnestly.

"Oh," replied Sam, before helping brush off the sticky, wet snowflakes that hadn't come loose with the shaking. "You must be a couple wayward snowmen, then."

"Don't be silly, papa," scolded Frodo, fixing his large eyes on Sam. "Snowmen can't come inside; they'd melt."

"Well now, I suppose that's true enough," Sam replied, earnestly. "You must be my Elanor and Frodo, after all." He patted his son's little curly head affectionately. "And glad I am of it, but why ever are you covered from head to toe in snow? Did a troll come along and dunk you both in a snow drift?"

"Papa!" Laughed Elanor. "There are no trolls in the Shire; Mama says so."

Sam nodded, dutifully. "Right she is, sure enough!"

"We've been trying to walk on the snow," Elanor explained.

"Like Legolas the Elf!" Interjected Frodo.

"What on earth…" Sam began, but Elanor cut him off.

"Uncle Pippin says that cause we're so small and our feet are so big, we ought to be able to do it for sure," she elaborated.

Sam smiled wryly. "I see."

"But is sure is cold work trying, Papa," lamented Frodo. "And I don't think we're any nearer to managing it than when we started."

"We just have to keep trying," Elanor added, encouragingly. "We're bound to get the hang of it if we keep at it long enough."

"Hmmm," murmured Sam, "I think a bit of supper to warm you up before you do any more trying today."

"But, Papa, what if all the snow melts while we're inside," exclaimed Elanor. "Mama says it hardly ever snows so much here and that it'll most likely all melt away soon enough once the sun comes out again. What if it comes out while we're supping?"

Sam laughed heartily. "Your mother is right enough, as always. Still, it shan't all melt away in day, whatever the weather," he assured. "Nor, by the looks of the sky, is the sun planning on making an appearance today. In fact, I reckon it just might snow some more before the day is out."

Elanor whooped with excitement at that, but Frodo seemed less enthused.

"Don't you want more snow, Frodo?" Sam asked.

Frodo shrugged. "I didn't want the snow to melt before we were done playing, but I don't think I want more, Papa," he explained. "It'll be over our heads soon!"

"Just like Caradhras!" Exclaimed Elanor. "Papa can play Strider the Ranger and rescue us!"

Sam laughed. "Papa's not sure he likes the sound of that."

Frodo patted him soothingly. "That's okay, Papa," he assured. "Me and El'nor won't need rescuing once we figure out how to walk on the snow like Legolas."

"Well, enough about it for now. It's time to tuck in," Sam decreed, as Rosie's head popped out from the kitchen to see what was keeping them.

It did, indeed begin to snow again before they'd finished eating their supper, and Rosie had declared that they "would never be seen again if they were allowed out in it." Thus Sam had beguiled his children with the old, oft-told tales of his days with the Fellowship until their yawns told him it was bedtime. With a kiss and a pat on the head for each, he watched Rosie lead them away, distracted by an idea that had begun to gnaw on him as he'd been story-telling. Deciding it just might work, Sam rose and put in his coat.

"And where are you off to at this hour? I'm not sure I'm any more likely to see you again, either, if you go far in this weather," Rosie stated, returning just as his hand had reached for the door.

"Not to worry, my flower," Sam assured. "I won't go far…just to my workshop."

"It can't wait till morning?" Asked Rosie.

"It could," admitted Sam, "but I want to be ready for them when they wake up." Rosie tilted her head inquisitively, to which Sam simply replied, "You'll see…if I manage it."

Rosie smiled gently at his enigmatic excitement and then shrugged. "Don't stay out too late."

Sam just nodded, already lost again in his plans.

"Ooooh! What's this, Papa!" Elanor asked, glancing up from her breakfast as Sam entered with two large bundles.

"Take a look and see," replied Sam. He grinned at Rosie, who cleared away the children's nearly emptied breakfast plates to make room on the table. "One for you, Elanor, and one for you, Frodo," he said, placing a bundle before each child. "Go ahead!" He added, as each child eyed the paper wrapping, eager to tear it open.

They ripped the paper away with gleeful abandon, but then each child's excitement faded away to puzzlement. Pushing her unwrapped bundle toward Sam, Elanor said, "These are funny looking battledores, Papa…"

"There's too much snow for Battledores and Shuttlecocks, even if they were proper battledores…," added Frodo.

Sam grinned broadly, as he lifted Elanor's set up for a proper view. "They're not battledores…"

"That's good! Cause they haven't even proper handles!" Elanor exclaimed with relief.

"What are they, then, Papa?" Asked Frodo.

"They're snowshoes!" Sam stated, triumphantly.

Elanor and Frodo turned to look at each other in bewilderment.

"They don't look like any shoes I've seen in Bree…"

"But, papa, Hobbits don't wear shoes…"

The children murmured in unison.

"They are not that kind of shoe," Sam explained. "Come here, Elanor." Sitting down, he patted the bench next to him. Shrugging at her brother, Elanor scrambled around the table and up onto the bench.

Turning her towards him, Sam placed one of the shoes on the bench, gently lifted Elanor's foot onto it, and strapped it securely. He then shifted her and repeated the process with the other foot, before carefully setting her onto the floor.

"Feels strange," giggled Elanor. She took a few hesitant steps, then, figuring out her balance, began to waddle around with zeal.

"Do mine, Papa!" Shouted Frodo, pushing his bundle to Sam and hurrying around to sit beside his papa.

Soon both children were waddling around and laughing gleefully.

"They're terribly fun, Papa!" Exclaimed Elanor. "But why are they called snowshoes?"

"Because they are for walking atop the snow, my silly girl," Sam explained, with a grin.

"Oooooh!" Exclaimed the children in unison. "Thank you, Papa!"

"Let's go try them out!" Said Elanor, and Frodo nodded his agreement.

"Bundle up first!" Insisted Rosie, hurrying over with coats, hats, scarves, and gloves.

Elanor and Frodo fairly vibrated with impatience, but managed, all the same, to get bundled and waddle out the door.

From the doorway, Sam wrapped an arm around Rosie, laughing with her Frodo tumbled into the snow. Elanor waddled over in time help her brother up, but no sooner than he was on his feet, she lost her balance and tumbled. The process repeated in several variations—Elanor tumbling, then Frodo tumbling, then both tumbling at the same time— for a good quarter hour, before Frodo, first, then Elanor, succeeded in waddling several yards atop the snow.

"We're doing it, El'nor! We're walking atop the snow, just like Legolas the elf!" Exclaimed Frodo.

"Papa! Mama! We're doing it!" Elanor shouted, waving at her parents.

Sam and Rosie grinned and waved back, before a baby's cry interrupted the moment, and Rosie turned to tend to baby Rose. She paused and turned back long enough to shout, "Don't wander too far!"

"Don't worry yourself. I'll keep an eye or two on them," Sam assured. "You get in out of the cold and see to little Rosie-gal.". Giving her bottom a pat as she hurried inside, Sam reached in to grab his own coat, gloves, and scarf. He put them on as he followed after his children, a big grin settling on his face as his children's joyous laughter carried on the breeze.

The end.


End file.
